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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29051181">In denial</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/PoisonJack/pseuds/PoisonJack'>PoisonJack</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Borderlands (Video Games)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alpha Rhys (Borderlands), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, General au, Identity Issues, M/M, Mpreg, Omega Jack, Omegaverse, Panic Attacks, rhys is a caring and supportive mate</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 06:53:59</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,959</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29051181</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/PoisonJack/pseuds/PoisonJack</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>He’d said he was fine. He could handle it. That he could just imagine that the bump of their offspring was beer-belly, <i>not</i> proof that he was a pregnant omega. </p>
<p>What he<i> hadn’t</i> planned for, of course, was how it might feel when their pup began to move around for the first time; of how it forced him to confront the fact that he, Handsome Jack-- destroyer of Dahl, vault-opener, and unconditional <i>king</i> of Hyperion- <i>was</i> an omega, despite all the psychological acrobatics he did to fight against the association. </p>
<p>Jack feels their pup move for the first time and it freaks him out.</p>
<p>This was a fic-fill of an omegaverse sentence-prompt for anon:<i> Prompt 4- : “Fuck! I can feel it/them moving in there.”</i></p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Handsome Jack/Rhys (Borderlands), Rhack - Relationship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>55</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>In denial</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Doing some quick prompt-fills from <a href="https://purge-that-urge-rhackathon.tumblr.com/post/640582416590929920/abo-prompts">this</a> list.  And we all know I love some omega jack haha :D</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He’d said he was fine. He could handle it. That he could just imagine that the bump of their offspring was beer-belly, <em>not</em> proof that he was a pregnant omega.</p>
<p>Not that Jack didn’t want kids. He wanted to be a parent <em>badly</em>, but getting over his own hang-ups had taken a very long time. Even with Rhys being a hot little support-mate at his side. Rhys never treated him like he was just some broodmare omega, but the idea of <em>looking</em> like one— <em>proof</em> of what he was- was something the omega-CEO was <em>still</em> getting used to.</p>
<p>The idea that his body would change in ways that would flatter any other omega had made <em>him</em> anxious and scared. Jack worked very hard on his terrifying CEO-image, divorcing the idea of himself from anything he perceived as weakness in omegas. If one didn’t get a scent on the older man, one would think Jack was an alpha just by looking at him. </p>
<p>He’d already come to terms with the fact that his powerful stride would become more of an embarrassing waddle as his pregnancy would progress. He’d have to change his wardrobe-identity to sweat pants and loose, <em>omega</em>-type robes very soon. People would stare, if he couldn’t use his doubles full-time. But he’d come to terms with all that, creating reasonable expectations of what would happen to his appearance and how he could dress to distract from his body’s advertising that he’d been bred.</p>
<p>What he <em>hadn’t</em> planned for, of course, was how it might feel when their pup began to move around for the first time; of how it forced him to confront the fact that he, Handsome Jack-- destroyer of Dahl, vault-opener, and unconditional <em>king</em> of Hyperion- <em>was </em>an omega, despite all the psychological acrobatics he did to fight against the association. </p>
<p>And that terrified him too. </p>
<p>“Jack? Did <em>you</em> just make that noise?”</p>
<p>Rhys’ voice came to the older man from the hall. Jack sat on the edge of the bed in the bedroom, having an internal panic attack. His voice sounded strange to even himself as he called out to the lanky alpha; scared, wanting comfort, fighting asking for it. “<em>Rhysie</em>.”</p>
<p>“Jack? I just felt something weird,” Rhys’ approaching voice announced, and Jack almost wanted to laugh hysterically as that was what <em>he</em> wanted to say. No doubt the younger man was talking about their bond. “Are you oka-- <em>Jack</em>?”</p>
<p>The older man’s worried blue and green eyes met Rhys’ own, and the younger man immediately kneeled before him, a hand over the one Jack held over his belly as he sat there. “Is the baby okay? What’s wrong? Should I call a doctor?”</p>
<p>“No… I don’t know…” Jack spoke, staying very still, very-carefully moving his hand over the bulge of their pup. “I thought… I felt something…” He felt kind of stupid saying that, but the way his heart still raced told him he hadn’t just imagined it.</p>
<p>“...Like what? The baby’s okay?” Rhys asked again, and gave the omega-CEO’s hand a squeeze.</p>
<p>“I think it’s okay,” Jack said warily as he began to fully comprehend that this was <em>not</em> one of the many changes he’d planned for. <em>Knowing </em>it would happen again-- and often the more their pup grew- terrified the omega-CEO. “It moved.”</p>
<p>“Yeah?” Rhys said with a smile. “That’s good, right?”</p>
<p>He hadn’t planned for this. </p>
<p>“I didn’t think about that part.”</p>
<p>“Jack…”</p>
<p>“Rhysie,” the older man said, meeting his eyes with a look of panic. “I’m gonna need you to talk me down here, kiddo, because I <em>didn’t</em> plan for this.”</p>
<p>The lanky alpha looked confused. “...You didn’t plan that our pup would move?” Jack made a face-- he was clearly aware of how stupid that sounded- and Rhys offered a smile. “...Are you freaking out, handsome?”</p>
<p>“<em>Rhys</em>.” </p>
<p>“I’m not making fun, I promise,” the younger man said. “I’m just trying to figure out the level here that you--”</p>
<p>“<em>Fuck</em>!” Jack interrupted in startlement, jumping a little even as he moved to hold the bump at his middle with concern. His voice was scared. “I can feel it moving in there.”</p>
<p>Rhys was gently stroking the older man’s arm, trying to calm and soothe him. “Hey, it’s okay,” he promised gently. “It’s a <em>good</em> thing. Pups are <em>supposed</em> to move around a bit.”</p>
<p>“I <em>know</em> that,” the older man said. “I just didn’t think--” He made an annoyed sound. “I didn’t think.”</p>
<p>Rhys gave Jack’s arm a little squeeze of support. “Can I feel?” </p>
<p>“Yeah,” the omega-CEO said with a worried nod. Jack placed Rhys’ flesh hand where he’d just felt their jostle him. He didn’t want it to happen again, even if to prove it to the younger man, but after several tense moments, Jack jumped again. He met Rhys’ eyes. “You didn’t feel that?”</p>
<p>“No, not really, but-”</p>
<p>“Well it really happened.”</p>
<p>Rhys moved up to sit next to Jack on the bed, wrapping his cybernetic arm around his mate and placing his flesh hand over Jack’s own on his belly. “Not saying I don’t believe you. Not at all,” Rhys said as he placed a kiss on Jack’s shoulder. “Maybe you just feel it better.” </p>
<p>Jack only grumbled to himself about ‘omega bullcrap’ stressing him out, and Rhys smiled with an idea. “I've got something to calm you down…”</p>
<p>“If you’re talking about your dick, you can forget it, kitten,” the omega-CEO snarked. “That’s the guy I’m blaming for all this.”</p>
<p>Rhys snorted and slid a hand up Jack’s back to rest at the nape of his neck. He moved his fingertips into the top of the older man’s shirt, and applied pressure to his bonding gland. Jack practically melted. It was exactly what he needed.</p>
<p>“<em>Fuck</em>… yeah, more of that, baby!”</p>
<p>Rhys chuckled at his enthusiasm but moved to kiss under the older man’s jaw. “I love you, Jack. It’ll be okay.”</p>
<p>“Mmm…. You can't just jerk my neck off each time this kiddo moves though, buttercup,” Jack pointed out as the lanky alpha rubbed circles into the older man’s skin. He groaned happily despite his words. “...I don’t know why I didn’t think about this happening. I don’t know why it freaks me out so bad. I love this pup,” he quickly added, turning his head to look his mate in the face once. “But it-- <em>There’s a pup in there</em>,” he stated simply, dumbly, as if the fact that he’d felt it move had solidified the thought that <em>the </em>Handsome Jack-- powerful and violent ruler of Hyperion- was in fact, a simple <em>omega</em>. </p>
<p>He could have lied to himself for all of his life and believed otherwise-- fashion himself as an alpha in eternal denial- but right now, with their pup moving inside of him, there was no denying that Handsome Jack <em>was </em>an omega. He couldn’t reconcile his commercialized-persona with <em>anything </em>that was happening right now.</p>
<p>It left him feeling adrift, lost, and not knowing what to do. </p>
<p>Luckily, he had a caring mate by his side, holding his hand, and singing his praises even though he felt like an idiot.</p>
<p>“Yeah, that’s your heir to the empire in there, Jack,” Rhys told him with a grin, moving to pull down the back of Jack’s sweater-collar properly to press his lips to the skin there. The older man moaned. “You’re <em>Handsome Jack</em>, Jack<em>.</em> You've got this. You’ve fought off armies and aliens and anything else that comes our way. You’re still the same man who did all that. Having our pup is a super-badass thing, handsome,” Rhys purred as he continued to rub and kiss at Jack’s skin. The omega-CEO sighed at the treatment.</p>
<p>He jumped a little as he felt their pup move inside of him <em>again</em>, and Rhys was instantly hugging him and reassuring him while Jack confirmed just what he’d thought happened. “It moved again.”</p>
<p>“Lively little guy. Or girl. Our pup,” Rhys said with love. “Does it hurt?”</p>
<p>“No. It’s just… <em>really</em> weird.”</p>
<p>“Is there anything in particular you’d like me to do for you? I mean <em>anything</em>,” Rhys lightly teased as he waggled his brows at the older man. It made Jack snort. “I think you’re awesome, Jack. I mean, you’re <em>making</em> a pup. That’s-- I’ll never be able to do that. I would if I could. I mean that.”</p>
<p>“I know you do, kitten. It’s just. It’s hard.”</p>
<p>“I love you. Can we lay down together?”</p>
<p>They did, stripping down to underthings and laying amongst the morning’s messy blankets. It was comfortable and felt safe, and Jack let Rhys lay with his face on the omega-CEO’s belly to see if he could feel anything.</p>
<p>It should’ve scared him just as badly still, but even though Rhys reported that he couldn’t exactly feel anything, the fact that Jack wasn’t alone in <em>proximity </em>tothe active pup kind of helped. </p>
<p>The lanky alpha just lazily kissed and rubbed his skin, oblivious to the movement happening right beneath his cheek, and at that moment, a warmth suffused the older man as Jack realized something that immediately made him feel different about the whole issue. “...She likes you.”</p>
<p>“What?” Rhys spoke against Jack’s skin.</p>
<p>“Our pup. She likes you,” he said once again.</p>
<p>“Yeah? <em>She,</em> huh?”</p>
<p>“I think it’s a girl, now, yeah.”</p>
<p>“And she likes me, huh?”</p>
<p>“She’s moving right there, buttercup,” he indicated where Rhys was lavishing attention to his skin. “Right under your face.”</p>
<p>Rhys smiled, placing his cheek to the omega-CEO’s skin. “I believe you, but I really don’t feel anything, Jack.”</p>
<p>“That’s okay.” </p>
<p>Jack was still quiet as Rhys pet at his skin, trying to reassure the older man that everything would be okay. He kissed from the omega-CEO’s belly right up to the line of his jaw, and Jack smirked when he finally pressed their lips together. </p>
<p>Rhys wormed a warm hand behind Jack’s neck to hold the older man there gently. “Could I get my lips on your mark, <em>sir</em>?” Rhys asked saucily, trying to get permission to kiss at the spot where he’d bitten and bonded himself to the omega CEO. </p>
<p>“I-- <em>mmmm</em>.” Rhys was moving to kiss his lips again, and Jack let him before speaking again. “I think… I think it’ll be okay. But it’s gonna take a while not to freak me out,” Jack admitted, rubbing a hand over his belly. “And I <em>do</em> want you to help <em>distract </em>me, pumpkin. This is-- I never pictured myself <em>able</em> to do this,” he said with a sort of defeated-acceptance.  </p>
<p>“You wanna fuck me?” Rhys offered lightly with a grin, and Jack laughed, disbelieving himself even as he was shaking his head. </p>
<p>“No, but I <em>do</em> want you to kiss and bite back here.” He tapped the side of his neck in meaning, and Rhys’ eyelids fluttered in pleasure at the request. </p>
<p>His pregnant omega asking to be bit by his alpha again…? Rhys was a little alarmed at how quickly that turned him on. “<em>Fuck,</em> Jack.”</p>
<p>“That’s what got us here in the first place,” the older man pointed out with a smirk, giving his belly a pat. “I wanna feel your teeth, kitten.”</p>
<p>Jack let his enthusiastic mate turn him to his side, and purred when Rhys immediately spooned him, nosing about the back of his neck and giving him teasing, nipping kisses. Rhys dragged his teeth across the older man’s bonding gland and Jack shuddered in absolute bliss.</p>
<p>Rhys spoke against his skin between kisses and love-bites. “You can do this.” He traced a hand over Jack’s arm to intertwine their fingers. He kissed the older man’s shoulder and gave his hand a squeeze. “And I’m with you the entire time.”</p>
<p>Jack gave his hand a squeeze back.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Comment if you got em! And check out my tumblr. I'm gonna be participate in the February whump prompts and i'll be taking them over there :)</p>
<p><a href="http://purge-that-urge-rhackathon.tumblr.com/">my tumblr</a> | <a href="http://purge-that-urge-rhackathon.tumblr.com/post/134979026515/poisonjack-ao3-fic-archive">my fic masterlist archive</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/PurgeThatUrge">twitter</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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